Gnomes have been present in mythology since the 16th century. Their roots can be seen in several mythologies, among which are the type of domestic fey that resided in people’s homes fixing broken items, gnomes that played pranks on people, gnomes that made deals in exchange for something, a type earth elemental, and the subterranean type of creatures that were used synonymously with such creatures [Read the article]
Elves are often depicted as guardians of the wilderness, be it forests, plains, mountains, desert, swamps or tundra in RPG games. In the case of the Drow/ dark elves, they would be living in the Underdark, or other such underground areas in your gaming world. Although these stereotypes as to what elves are may be a starting point, in and of themselves they are, quite [Read the article]
Dwarves are typically viewed as masters of mining, crafting, and warfare in RPGs. Although these stereotypes may be a starting point, in and of themselves they are, quite frankly, boring. What if these ideas could be refreshed, made alive by combining ideas of class into the mix by showing how the different classes would fit into daily life? Read on:
Have these situations ever happened to you? You’re in a dungeon and because the enemies were a bit tougher than you thought that they would be, the PCs either have to retreat back to town to restock up on supplies or get equipment that would make it easier to defeat them. Or the PCs are at the end of a dungeon and find the clues [Read the article]
Liches are common threats found in many types of RPG games. Unfortunately, it’s far too easy for the GM to roleplay them in a simplistic manner, as simple monsters to vanquish, giving them no backstory or interest, and an opportunity for world building is lost. But by making them unique, giving them unfamiliar and difficult to destroy phylacteries, giving them unique places to find them, [Read the article]
Vampires and their spawn are common threats found in many types of RPG games. Unfortunately, it’s far too easy for the GM to roleplay them in a simplistic manner (as simple monsters to vanquish) giving them no backstory or interest, and an opportunity for world-building is lost. But by giving them a culture, examining vampires from around the world, reducing or changing their weaknesses, and [Read the article]
Ghosts. Shadows. Spectres. Wraiths. These incorporeal undead (and many more) are common threats found in many types of RPG games. Unfortunately, it’s far too easy for the GM to roleplay them in a simplistic manner, as simple monsters to vanquish, giving them no backstory or interest, and an opportunity for world building is lost. But by knowing their abilities and distinctions, as well as giving [Read the article]
Click to check out Part 1 here… Animated objects have been around forever with the flying rugs, levitating rope tricks, swords that swing themselves and the Golem portrayed in Jewish mythology. More recently there have been the story of Frankenstein’s monster to various self-animated robots and the castle staff in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” For the most part these have always been portrayed as [Read the article]
Animated objects have been around forever with the flying rugs, levitating rope tricks, swords that swing themselves and the Golem portrayed in Jewish mythology. More recently there have been the story of Frankenstein’s monster to various self-animated robots and the castle staff in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” For the most part these have always been portrayed as rampaging monsters or played off for comedy. [Read the article]
Most DMs don’t have many encounters with plant monsters, slimes, molds, and puddings. They’re oftentimes relegated to things that players stumble into like traps, side quests, and areas of heavy overgrowth. With a few simple solutions, they can easily take the spotlight…